A POEM On the Marriage of His SERENE HIGHNESS the PRINCE of
ORANGE,
WITH ANN Princess-Royal of GREAT BRITAIN.
By
STEPHEN DUCK.
To which are added, VERSES to the AUTHOR, By a DIVINE. With the AUTHOR'S ANSWER.
LONDON:
Printed for WEAVER BICKERTON at Lord
Bacon
's
Head
without
Temple-bar,
1733-4. [Price One Shilling.]
TO His SERENE HIGHNESS the PRINCE of
ORANGE,
This POEM is humbly Inscribed, by His
Most Dutiful Servant, S. DUCK.
ON THE MARRIAGE Of His SERENE HIGHNESS the PRINCE of
ORANGE.
I LLustrious Prince, forgive the feeble Lay,
That now aspires to hail your Nuptial-day;
Nor
a Muse, the meanest of the Nine,
Who brings her humble Off'ring to your Shrine.
And You Imperial Nymph, whose lovely Face
Invites the Hero to your chaste Embrace,
Vouchsafe a Spark of your Coelestial Fire,
Harmonious Words, and pleasing Thoughts inspire,
Soft as your Love, and tuneful as your Lyre;
So shall my Numbers charm the list'ning Ear,
And ev'n the glad NASSAU delighted hear.
NASSAU has long enrich'd the Book of Fame.
And ANNA now adorns the Noble Name.
Nations who saw the Light of ORANGE rise,
With awful Splendor, in the
Belgian
Skies;
Shall soon behold it with new Lustre shine,
Join'd to a glorious Star of BRUNSWICK's Line.
So where the flowing
Sambre
gently glides,
The Swain delights to view the beauteous Tides;
But when his more-extended Eye surveys
The shining Torrent join the spacious
Maese,
Both Rivers thus, with friendly Union flow,
And to the Sight superior Beauty show.
Whene'er the Gods a noble Race intend,
They suit the Causes to their destin'd End:
Nor yoke unequal Hearts in Nuptial Love,
Jove
's valiant Bird disdains the fearful Dove.
Great Minds by native Sympathy combine,
As golden Particles the closest join;
Paternal Virtues in their Bosom roll,
Ally'd in Love by Nobleness of Soul;
Hence, Thrones and Scepters shine neglected Things,
Hence Royal ANN prefers NASSAU to Kings;
While
Britons
with united Hearts rejoice,
And willing Senators applaud the Choice,
To see their King (to Honour ever true)
Discharge the Debt to sacred WILLIAM due.
Immortal WILLIAM! by whose prudent Cares,
We yet enjoy the Fruits of all our Wars;
Our Laws, Religion, Liberty, and Peace,
And ev'n the Blessings of the BRUNSWICK Race.
Nor Thou, Illustrious ORANGE, blush to own
Thy Honour, thus ally'd to
Albion
's Crown;
Blest with a Princess, in whose Form we trace
Her Fathers Majesty, and Mother's Grace:
Bright Orbs of Pow'r, that with propitious Ray,
Dispel our Clouds, and beautify our Day.
Not as the Comet, raging thro' the Air,
Infects the World with Pestilence and War:
But like the Sun, their Beams of Goodness glow,
Inspiring Life, and chearing All below.
Such are the glorious SIRE, and gracious DAME,
From whence the beauteous Bride of ORANGE came.
And shall unerring Nature change her Kind?
What Lion e'er produc'd a tim'rous Hind?
The Royal Eagles, Royal Eagles breed,
And Heroes from Heroic Sires proceed;
Rome
's Founder thus, confest his Race Divine;
Thus NASSAU copies the NASSOVIAN Line;
Thus, ANNA's noble Stream of Virtue flows,
High as the Regal Spring from whence it rose.
Thrice happy Nymph, with ev'ry grace supply'd,
Thrice happy Prince, with such a heav'nly Bride;
In whom superior Sense, with Judgment joins,
Her Beauty much, but more her Merit shines.
How glorious! when such Worth adorns the Great,
We hear, we see, admire and imitate,
Virtue in Them, attracts remotest Eyes,
But in the Vulgar Soul unheeded lies.
As radiant
Phoebus
darts superior Light,
While smaller Planets shun the watchful Sight.
Accomplish'd thus, let her Example fire
The drooping Muse, and wake the sounding Lyre;
To aid Religion be her chiefest Care,
(Heav'n justly claims the Soul it made so fair)
To stem the Torrent of licentious Rage,
And prop the Virtues of a sinking Age;
Exalting Science to her ancient Height,
To raise declining Arts, and make the rude Polite.
While Great NASSAU, whom native Glory warms,
Whene'er his Country calls him forth to Arms,
May fire the
Belgians
in the Field of
Mars,
Consult their Peace, or animate their Wars;
Paint his Forefathers to their wond'ring Eye,
And teach 'em how to conquer, or to die;
Like him, who bravely dar'd to break their Chain,
Tho' held by all the Force and Fraud' of
Spain
;
For injur'd Liberty the Sword he draws,
Resolv'd to gain, or perish in the Cause;
And having long the doubtful Combat try'd,
Like
Caesar
vanquish'd, and like
Caesar
King
William
's Great Grandfather, the first Great Assertor of the
Belgian
Liberties, Assassinated at
Delph.
dy'd.
Tho' diff'rent far the Motives of their Mind,
That, fought to Conquer, This to Save Mankind;
Till prais'd, lamented, envied, and admir'd,
The Hero, Patriot, and the Prince expir'd.
Oh! where did then the guardian Angels hide?
Nor watch'd to turn the guilty Ball aside;
When he, whom armed Hosts cou'd not withstand,
Now falls a Victim to one Villain's hand!
But rise ye Muses, quit the pensive Lay,
Nor damp the Joys of this auspicious Day,
Since yet the glorious Name of ORANGE stands,
Since Royal ANNA seals the Nuptial-bands,
Soon may Imperial ADOLPHS rise again,
Again new FREDERICKS thunder on the Main,
Rousing the Martial Youth to War's alarms,
(If proud
Ierians
shine again in Arms)
To guard their Country from tyrannic Pow'r,
And be what glorious WILLIAM was before.
Nor shall the
states invading Forces fear,
'Ere pregnant Time the promis'd Heroes bear;
Nor want Allies their Freedom to defend,
Since BRUNSWICK reigns, and ALBION is their Friend.
As branching Oaks protect the rural Swain,
Secure from Summer-heat, and Winter-rain;
So shall our Monarch, with Paternal Aid,
His Regal Shelter o'er
Batavia
spread,
Long as the Sceptre fills his Royal Hand,
A true
Palladium
shall Insure the Land.
And if the praescient Muses guide my Lay,
Or, future Secrets,
Phoebus
can display,
The Day shall shine distinguish'd from the rest,
That ANNA dignify'd, and
Hymen
blest;
In which AUGUSTUS fortifies his Throne,
And plans a Scheme of Union for his Son;
Bespeaks Allies for Princes yet to come,
New Friends to
Britain,
and new Foes to
Rome.
Proceed Great MONARCH, new Allies to gain,
And with new Nuptial-leagues our Peace maintain;
So shall thy beauteous Nymphs secure with Charms
That safety, other Kings defend with Arms;
They,
Venus
like, cou'd
Mars
himself surprize,
And awe stern Tyrants with their conqu'ring Eyes.
VERSES to the Author, In Imitation of HORACE's ODE on PINDAR.
By a DIVINE.
Applyed to the Marriage of his Highness the Prince of
Orange
with ANN Princess Royal of
Great Britain.
WHO hopes to rival MILTON's Flame,
With waxen Pinions fondly flies;
His Fall will give the Sea a Name,
While he attempts to reach the Skies.
MILTON is like a Flood, whose Tide,
Swell'd with tempestous Deluge, roars,
Which from some lofty Mountain's Side
Resistless foams, and knows no Shores.
With sacred Lawrels justly crown'd,
Whether in bold unfetter'd Strains
His tow'ring Muse the common Bound,
Superior to all Rhime, disdains.
Whether the Realms of endless Day
He fill with Wars and rude Alarms,
Or set in terrible Array
Seraphic
Legions
clad in Arms.
Aloft with all their Forests thrown
See Hills, from their Foundations raz'd!
See Angels hurl'd with Vengeance down,
When the MESSIAH's Standard blaz'd!
Or leads he to conubial Bow'rs
The new-form'd Pair? The teeming Ground
Smiles with a Wilderness of Flow'rs
Diffusing Gales of Fragrance round.
Lo! ADAM with Majestic Mein
For Empire and Command design'd!
Consumate Beauty crowns his Queen,
With Dignity and Sweetness join'd.
While he the charming Scene displays,
Where Innocence and Pleasure reign'd,
Delighted with his sacred Lays,
We hear it lost, and feel it gain'd.
His Lays, inimitably fine,
With Extasy each Passion move,
When loud they trumpet War divine,
Or softly warble human Love.
O STEPHEN, this Britannic Swan
Surmounts the Clouds with noble Flight,
While I at distance only can
Admire him less'ning to the Sight.
As the poor Bee, with endless Toil,
To suck the Thyme and blooming Rose,
Skims over RICHMOND's fragrant Soil,
Thus I with pleasing Pain compose.
You with a happy Genius blest,
In bolder Strains shall NASSAU sing,
When ANNA by the Graces drest,
He to the Nuptial Dome shall bring.
ANNA enrich'd with various Charms
By the indulgent Care of Heav'n,
Than whom into his longing Arms
No greater Treasure can be giv'n.
Not, tho' with Riches of the East
At his Command the
Ganges
flow,
Tho' with full Empire he possest
Whate'er Ambition wish'd below.
Ye
Nereids,
with propitious Gales,
The gilded Vessel kindly aid,
Let CUPIDS fan the swelling Sails,
And waft him to the Royal Maid.
This was written in
October
last, when the Prince was expected.
When
Thames,
with floating Forests crown'd,
LEANDER safe arriv'd proclaims,
And of tumultuous Joy the Sound
Shall bid AUGUSTA rise in Flames.
Loud Thunder bursting from her Tow'rs,
Shall signalize the sacred Day;
And transport to the
Belgic
Shores,
For Blessings which they lent, convey.
Around while Hymenaeals ring,
My Voice to highest Pitch I'll raise,
Thrice happy, if I can but sing
An humble Ode to NASSAU's Praise.
You, soaring in Heroic Verse,
By native Strength of Wing upborn,
His Godlike Virtues shall rehearse,
And Beauties, which the Bride adorn.
He in your Lays shall finish'd rise,
For Council, or th' embattled Field:
Immortals the contested Prize
To her superior Charms shall yield.
Then ravish'd with prophetick Views
Succeeding Glories shall presage;
And from the Genial Bed the Muse,
Raise Princes to improve the Age:
Who, bravely prodigal of Blood,
Shall prove, that to set free Mankind,
And conquer for the Publick Good,
The Race of NASSAU was design'd.
Thus Great ALCIDES (Poets feign)
By Labours gain'd the Seats above;
Countries preserv'd, and Monsters slain,
Assert the Genuine Son of Jove.
The Answer.
WHEN I, in feeble Verse, essay'd
NASSAU and ANNA's Praise,
A Lyrick Muse flew o'er my Head,
And dropp'd a Branch of Bays.
I wou'd have fix'd it on my Brow,
But PHOEBUS said, forbear;
'Tis Vanity to touch the Bough,
And Sacrilege to wear.
Give it the Bard, who boldly dares
Attempt the
Roman
Lyre,
Who wisely checks, but not impairs
The tow'ring PINDAR's Fire.
Thus, Sir, to you, in PHOEBUS' Name,
The Lawrel Wreath I send;
And since the God denies me Fame,
Am glad it crowns my Friend.
FINIS.